“Stereophonic”. Written by David Adjami. Original Songs by Will Butler. Directed by Daniel Aukin. Presented at Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Boston, through March 15.
By Michele Markarian
When I first saw “Stereophonic” a few years ago in New York, I was surprised at how familiar I was with some of the dialogue. “It’s the book!” I whispered to my husband, who had no idea what I was talking about. The book, “Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album” by Ken Caillat with Steven Stiefel, had been given to me as a birthday present by a friend ten years before. Caillat had been the co-producer of “Rumours” and wrote a book describing the exhilarating and often harrowing process, a journey Mick Fleetwood corroborates in his book “My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac”. The playwright eventually settled out of court with Caillat. In fairness to Adjami, while the book is good, the play, which depicts the arduous recording sessions of a seminal album by a band loosely based on Fleetwood Mac, is better.
Grover (the excellent Jack Barrett) has talked his way into an engineering position for an album recording of a band on the brink of making it by lying about his credentials. The band is in the midst of personal change. Married couple Holly (Emilie Kouatchou) and Reg (Christopher Mowod) are in the process of breaking up, mostly due to Reg’s prodigious alcohol and drug abuse. Diana (Claire DeJean) and Peter (Denver Milord) are also a couple on the rocks – Peter is exceptionally controlling, which the insecure Diana (and the rest of the band) are tired of. Simon (Cornelius McMoyler), the band’s drummer and daddy figure, has been apart from his wife and kids too long for comfort; his wife tells him that she’s had enough. It is in the midst of these emotions, and many lines of coke, hits of pot and swigs of booze that the album is being recorded. Egos are also at play, although Americans Peter and Diana are far more guilty of self-involvement than their three British bandmates. As the relationships begin to self-destruct, so does the band as a whole, with Grover bearing the brunt of everyone’s frustrations. Ultimately, the album gets made, and propels the band into instant stardom, but in the course of making it, it forever alters the course of its members’ relationships.
All of the action in this three-hour play takes place in the recording studio, recreated by David Zinn’s excellent scenic design. The play’s length serves to remind the audience of the excruciating hours the band spent in the studio, sometimes into the early dawn, although, as an audience member, I relished every minute. Adjami aptly captures the dynamics and tensions of artists in any kind of creative relationship. The cast, for the most part, is terrific. Kouatchou’s Holly is one of both practicality and playfulness. While she is a source of comfort and advice for her bandmates, she does not allow herself to be taken advantage of. Milord manages to (surprisingly) elicit some sympathy as the controlling Peter, who, when cornered, sniffs out his fellow players’ weaknesses and exploits them (“If you’re such a great dad, where are your kids?” he asks Simon during a power struggle). His drive for perfection, while annoying, obviously worked for the album. Barrett strikes just the right note with Grover’s obedience and frustration. DeJean’s Diana is a little too wispy and weepy to be credible as a woman who is singled out for rock stardom; her characterization lacks mettle.
Whether or not you’re a Fleetwood Mac fan, this 2024 Tony Award-winning play is riveting, not to mention the fantastic score by Will Butler, performed by the talented cast. Judging from the ovation at the end of the show, the audience thought so, too. But don’t take my word for it – see for yourself. For tickets and information, go to: https://us.atgtickets.com/venues/emerson-colonial-theatre/whats-on/
